On Aug 26, 11:54 pm, techman41...@yahoo.com wrote:
> I have a 97 Accord with over 230K miles. Runs well, worth about $2000
> I plan on purchasing a 2008 Accord when they come out.
> I am considering trading in, to avoid the time and hassle of selling
> my old car.
> Are there any strategies to use at the dealer to get a better price
> for a trade-in.
> I heard about dealer tricks such as "holding your car hostage" for
> hours while a technician looks it over for appraisal. I would like to
> hear from people who found trade-ins worth it when they bought a new
> car. Any tips when trading in to dealer are appreciated
> Thanks

You basically won't get squat for your car on a trade. The dealer is
just going to turn around and sell it for beans to a wholesaler. They
aren't going to put it on their lot and sell it. Around here, the
dealers use some 'other' rating service besides KBB or NADA (I can
never remember the name, believe it begins with a 'G') that typically
is MUCH less than the others that we as consumers have access to. A
couple of years ago, I was looking to trade out Ford Windstar on a
Honda Pilot. KBB said the trade-in value was $3k, the dealer offered
me $1500 based on their super-secret book value. Needless to say, I
walked. Ended up driving it into the ground and donated it when the
transmission went. And bought my van from a different dealership.

Dan D
'07 Ody EX
Central NJ USA